IPWEAQ

Seren is the Director Infrastructure and Operations, Townsville City Council. She is a Past President of IPWEAQ (2017-2019)

What I enjoy most about being an engineer is ... seeing how we can help our communities through our water supplies, our roads, bridges, and parks, and by listening to people.

I encourage people to become engineers because ... you can make a difference and have a fun time learning and creating new things.

Josh is the Project Engineer for the Bruce Highway – Cairns Southern Access Corridor – Stage 3 Edmonton to Gordonvale (E2G) Program Delivery & Operations at the Department of Transport and Main Roads. Josh is an IPWEAQ Ambassador.

What I enjoy most about being an engineer is being part of a team with a common goal to complete a project successfully that will benefit the community for many years to come. I also enjoy the everyday tasks of collaborating with other passionate engineers, interpreting and understanding project documentation and developing effective solutions to any problems encountered.

I encourage people to become engineers because you will be challenged, you will use your creativity, and you really can make a difference in the world. 

Clarissa is a Senior Civil Engineer at HDR ( a design firm specialising in engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services). Clarissa was the winner of the Best Paper award at the 2019 Annual Conference on the subject of this story.

I went to university and studied Education and Science (to become a teacher) before changing my mind and studying Civil Engineering, both at the University of the Sunshine Coast. The skills I learned from doing maths and graphics are things I use every day.

What I enjoy most about being an engineer is ... how every day can be different, and how I get to do so many different things

I encourage people to become engineers because ... it is a career that allows you to go in any number of directions depending on what you are interested in. Do you want to be the head of a business? Do you want to talk to lots of different people including property owners, businesses, environmental groups, politicians, students? Do you want to work internationally or travel the world while working? Do you want to spend all day on a construction site around construction equipment? Do you want to spend all day in front of a computer using various pieces of software? Or anything in between? Become an engineer!

When I was in primary school I wanted to be … a model (LOL)

When I was in high school I wanted to be … a lawyer

Zoe is a Senior Coastal Engineer with the City of Gold Coast. She worked on the award-winning project Palm Beach artificial reef project and was featured in the September issue of Engineering for Public Works. 

I went to university and studied ... a Bachelor of Engineering in Coastal Engineering at Griffith University on the Gold Coast; and a Master of Literature in Geography which focused on coastal processes at the National University of Ireland Galway. 

What I enjoy most about being an engineer is ... problem solving and using my coastal engineering knowledge to get the best outcomes for coastal communities, especially on the Gold Coast where I grew up. 

Monishaa is Senior Infrastructure Planning Engineer at Rockhampton City Council

At school I studied ... Science (Biology and Chemistry), Maths, and English, and studied Art, Legal Studies, and Ancient History for fun. My learning in these subjects does come in handy as my work also involves writing policy, so understanding legal principles helps that. Ancient History was useful, particularly learning how people in Ancient Greece and Rome designed and built their cities with aqueducts and earth drains, wells, and waterways. Art wise, we can learn from ancient societies about how to create the best solutions to everyday problems with a bit of artistic flair! It would be amazing if we could bring more of that to the engineering works of today. 

I went to university and studied … Environmental Engineering at Griffith University

What I enjoy most about being an engineer is ...  being able to help people and make communities liveable, safe, and working at their best, and seeing designs come to life.

I encourage people to become engineers because ... Engineering is a field that helps to solve the many problems in the world, and as engineers, we are constantly changing the world with inventions and solutions that seek to improve everyone's lives. You can look at something and think ‘Can we do it better?’ You can invent something and see the results of your creative thinking come to life and how it is of help to others.  Also, Engineers continue to learn new ways to solve traditional problems every day and there are still many amazing discoveries to be had, and problems to solve! So if you love innovating, and dreaming up of new ways to solve problems for people, and want to make a difference, engineering is for you!